Prince email interview, http://www.heraldsun.news...02,00.html

Royal decree: let's go crazy
By NUI TE KOHA 01oct03

PRINCE has confirmed he will retire his classic hits after a world tour starting in Melbourne on October 21.

"We're constantly creating new things and we want to express ourselves in the 'Everlasting Now', as opposed to the restrictive nature of set-lists," Prince told the Herald Sun by e-mail yesterday.

The interview is the first Prince has conducted in three years.

Prince, 45, says he will revisit his best known songs for the last time before focusing on the future.

"Everything eye want, eye already have," he wrote.

Fans, he noted, "have seen the older material with several different crews.

"And since the music has matured now, it's time 2 move the material out of the house 2 make room for the new kids!" he wrote.

As Prince revealed his world tour plans, his first Rod Laver Arena show broke ticket sales records early yesterday.

His October 21 show sold out in 20 minutes, and spilled to a second show on October 22.

Those ticket sales show Prince still has clout, even 20 years after his biggest record, Purple Rain, was released.

"Xpect one lifelong party!" Prince said of his coming shows.

"No gimmicks and no prisoners."

Prince last toured Australia in 1992, playing sell-out shows at the then National Tennis Centre and a secret gig at the Palace.

Lately, many critics have urged Prince to go back to basics.

His Melbourne show, the opening night of a world tour, will attract global attention.

In his rise to fame, Prince borrowed from Little Richard, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix and influenced a new generation of performers to fuse funk and rock.

His sexual image and risque live shows pre-dated Madonna's.

His decision to return to the spotlight as Prince and perform his hits is a landmark one. He has spent the past decade in the commercial and critical wilderness.

In 1993, he changed his name to a symbol and then to The Artist Formerly Known As Prince as a protest against his recording and publishing deal with Warner Bros.

He said the deal, which ended in 2000, amounted to slavery.

Prince's hits include When Doves Cry, 1999, Kiss and Let's Go Crazy.

The top five fastest concert sell-outs at Rod Laver Arena are: Tool (11 minutes, 2001); Pearl Jam (17 minutes, 2002); Prince (20 minutes, 2003); Kylie Minogue, (24 minutes, 2002) and John Farnham (30 minutes, 2003).

Prince said:

What does this mean? That he already made the money from the early "kids"?

Prince said:

Yeah, but I hope the big kids are able to drop by and visit one day! Maybe bring along some friends...like Bobby and Wendy...maybe even Cythia Rose.

Wow..nice of P to speak to his fans or media ..without having them pay to see or hear him speak...He sounds rational and succintly clear as to where his music is at presentand where it is going ..where is the mad, weird..crazy prince i always hear about...gee i thought Bart would have responded by now to this post..what is the world coming to..(hehe)..peace and b wild!.

My, that's some "interview".
Sounds more like a press release.

scififilmnerd said:

DAMN!!!
You fuckers bitch and complain about everything. OH Oh my bad U were just "expressing my opinion, isn't that what the org is 4" yada yada yada.

An observation popped into my head today about the Everlasting Now comment.

He's clear that the music is guided by religious ideals based on the spiritual concept of the NOW.

Living in the moment. Which great! But, then again, there's nothing to be putting away about your past. It was great at times and rough at times, it makes the U that U are, NOW.

I don't think it's too clear at slight moments. My questions above are questions from that fuzziness.

John Farnham?
I guess those people still had St. Elmo's Fire burning in them...

Does this mean we don't get to hear great songs like Annastesia or The Ladder Gotta A Broken Heart Again and we have to sit through NEWS and Expectation, or is this just marketing strategy like the people that say this is my farewell tour and than a few years later when they do another tour they say Oh, I just had to get back on the road again.

When Prince destroyed the purple house my first thought was, what's next? Why ,his great songs of course
My next thought is, is there reason to stick around?

shame

lovebird said:

Yeah, if he's living in the "Everlasting Now"...then the Vault is the past...it is not a NOW experience.

I think the Purple House he destroyed was something personal, after his dad died, it may be none of our business, but that sure was hasty. It's like destroying the house that Jimi Hendrix grew up with his dad, they sold it rather and it has a Rock history thing attached to it. It was valued for people to enjoy.

Anyway, I wouldn't jump for joy at everything said. I think it may just be a marketing thing, like "...this is your last chance at 0% financing!".

When I saw the 2000 Hit & Run show I came away feeling "Did I just see and hear Nikki performed for the last time? Or When Doves Cry? Was that it?"

Tour dates??

Well, I will continue to support any creative journeys Prince decides to take me on. I also think we should let go of what was then and get into the "NOW!" "One, two, one, two, ninety-fo. I'm on the set, the freaks on the flo."

aussie, knows what time it is

I think we all have to give up on Prince's words-we can either assume he is a liar or as I asume he his in a world(financially or artistically) where he can do what he wants at a whim. Our world is dictated by finance which for most is their realtiy. Remember we can ahve one night to discus something and our lives could change-what is to contain this man apart from destruction. Continuity and consistency are contained with real restriction. This man can afford to be emotionally driven- I wish we could too. I do not say this to judge him but at the same time he could change tomorrow simply because he can !!!

As a musician, I can understand why Prince doesn't want to keep performing the same songs over and over again. It becomes boring after a while. As a fan I can also understand the need to hear and see those old favorites performed again. If Prince really cares about his fans, one thing he could do for us is to release a DVD via his website with perfomances of all his "greatest hits" and other tunes. That way we fans can see the performances anytime we want and Prince can let his "older children" go.

Prince said that it's time to make room for the "new kids". As a parent, you want to see your children mature and leave the nest however, it's always nice for one of your children to stop by for an unexpected visit.

With Prince there is no happy medium. You're either on board with what he's doing or you're not. As Eric Clapton said "you either love him or hate him. There's no middle ground with this guy." In the 25 years of me following him, I can honestly say that I have not been disappointed. Maybe a little confused, but never disappointed.

As Prince said a while back "be like an Eskimo and chill". Prince is, in my opinion, the most talented and creative musician we will see in our lifetime. While the possiblity of not hearing Prince play "Purple Rain" ever again is very disappointing, I always look forward to the next thing. So let's just sit back and enjoy the Artistry that is Prince.